Friday Apple Rumors: Errors Found in iPhone 5s Motion Sensor Readings

by Christopher Freeburn | October 4, 2013 10:53 am

Friday Apple Rumors: Errors Found in iPhone 5s Motion Sensor Readings

[1]Here are your Apple rumors[2] and AAPL news items for today:

Uh-Oh: Soon after Apple (AAPL[3]) launched the iPhone 5s, some buyers began to report that its acceleration, compass and level sensors were returning inaccurate information[4], VentureBeat notes. Those reports have now been backed up by tests conducted by tech website[5], Gizmodo, which declared the sensors “totally screwed up.” Many users first noticed the problem when using the level sensors on flat surfaces. iPhone 5s readings were consistently several degrees off, while earlier iPhones returned correct measurements. Since the iPhones tested are all running iOS 7, the errors may not be solely attributable to software errors, possibly signaling a hardware defect. While relatively few people depend on the level sensors to hang paintings, the sensors are used by a number of games. Apple has not commented on the issue, yet.

Revealed: Her name is Susan Bennett, but millions of smartphone owners know her as the voice of Apple’s Siri digital assistant[6], CNN notes. Bennett made a series of voice recordings in July 2005, reading a massive stream of phrases and sentences for eight hours a day. Technicians later drew samples from those recordings to create Siri’s vocabulary. At the time, she was unaware they would eventually be incorporated in one of the top-selling consumer electronics devices of all time. Siri was introduced as the key feature in the iPhone 4S when it launched in 2011. When Bennett’s friends heard Siri, they knew exactly whose voice it used. The voice assistant has been featured in Apple commercials, interacting with Hollywood celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, Martin Scorsese and Samuel L. Jackson. Apple has included new voice options in iOS 7, which debuted last month, so Bennett isn’t the only voice for Siri any longer, though she remains the default option. Her career includes voiceovers in numerous commercials and messages on corporate phone systems and public address systems. Bennett says she held off in revealing herself because she “wasn’t sure she wanted the notoriety.” When a website inaccurately identified another actress as the voice of Siri, Bennett decided theme was right. Apple hasn’t confirmed that Bennett is, in fact, Siri’s voice. However, audio professionals and voice-over industry experts say she is.

Hint?: Apple has provided observers with another clue that a TV-related product is in development[7], the New York Times notes. The iPad-maker recently hired Jean-Francois Mulé, a former CableLabs executive . During his time at the cable TV technology developer, Mulé worked on software the monitored the quality of video transmitted over WiFi. Apple did not comment on Mulé’s hiring, but on his LinkedIn (LNKD[8]) profile, he said that his new role at Apple was “part of something big.” Apple has long been rumored to be working on its own television set. Recent rumors, however, have focused on the possibility of a set-top box delivering media content. During the past year, Apple has reportedly conducted discussions with various cable and media companies. Those talks are seen as laying the groundwork for the launch of some kind of new device.

For more about the company, check out our previous Apple Rumors[9] stories.

backed up by tests conducted by tech website: http://gizmodo.com/the-iphone-5s-motion-sensors-are-totally-screwed-up-1440286727

know her as the voice of Apple’s Siri digital assistant: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/04/tech/mobile/bennett-siri-iphone-voice/index.html?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+(Top+Stories)

another clue that a TV-related product is in development: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/new-hires-suggest-apples-interest-in-tv-continues/?_r=0